Medical image processing system, method, and apparatus

Abstract

A medical image processing system includes a rotatable catheter insertable into a blood vessel and including at least one of: an ultrasound transceiver configured to transmit ultrasound waves and receive the waves reflected by the blood vessel and an optical transceiver configured to emit near infrared rays and receive the rays reflected by the blood vessel, and a processor configured to generate, based on the ultrasound waves or the near infrared rays, a series of images each showing a location of a boundary of the blood vessel at a rotation angle of the transceiver, generate meta-information about the series of images, embed the meta-information in the series of images, and generate a cross-sectional image of the blood vessel showing the boundary using the series of images with the meta-information, and output the generated cross-sectional image.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medical image processing system comprising:
 a catheter rotatable and insertable into a blood vessel and including at least one of:
 an ultrasound transceiver configured to transmit ultrasound waves and receive the waves reflected by the blood vessel in a radial direction of the catheter when the catheter is inserted in the blood vessel, and 
 an optical transceiver configured to emit near infrared rays and receive the rays reflected by the blood vessel in the radial direction when the catheter is inserted in the blood vessel; 
   a memory; and   a processor configured to execute a program that is stored in the memory to:
 generate, based on the ultrasound waves received by the ultrasound transceiver or the near infrared rays received by the optical transceiver, a series of images each showing a location of a boundary of the blood vessel at a particular rotation angle of the ultrasound transceiver or the optical transceiver, 
 generate meta-information about the series of images, 
 embed the generated meta-information in the series of images, and 
 generate a cross-sectional image of the blood vessel showing the boundary using the series of images with the meta-information, and output the generated cross-sectional image. 
   
     
     
         2 . The medical image processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the meta-information embedded in the series of images indicates when the series of images is generated. 
     
     
         3 . The medical image processing system according to  claim 2 , wherein the processor executes the program to acquire a timestamp from a real time clock (RTC) when the series of images is generated. 
     
     
         4 . The medical image processing system according to  claim 2 , wherein the processor executes the program to update the meta-information when the cross-sectional image is generated. 
     
     
         5 . The medical image processing system according to  claim 4 , wherein the updated meta-information indicates when the cross-sectional image is generated. 
     
     
         6 . The medical image processing system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a drive device connectable to the catheter to rotate the catheter, wherein   the processor executes the program to acquire encoder information from the drive device and include the encoder information in the meta-information to be embedded in the series of images.   
     
     
         7 . The medical image processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor executes the program to perform image processing on the series of images and modify the meta-information based on a result of the image processing. 
     
     
         8 . The medical image processing system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a display apparatus, wherein   the processor executes the program to cause the display apparatus to display the cross-sectional image according to the meta-information.   
     
     
         9 . The medical image processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the meta-information indicates an imaging condition under which the series of images is generated. 
     
     
         10 . The medical image processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the catheter is covered with a sheath, and   the meta-information is embedded within a particular data area of the series of images corresponding to the sheath.   
     
     
         11 . The medical image processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor executes the program to:
 separate the meta-information from the series of images,   perform signal processing on the series of images from which the meta-information is separated, and   restore the separated meta-information to the series of images after the signal processing is complete.   
     
     
         12 . A method for processing a medical image captured through a catheter rotatable and insertable into a blood vessel and including at least one of:
 an ultrasound transceiver configured to transmit ultrasound waves and receive the waves reflected by the blood vessel in a radial direction of the catheter when the catheter is inserted in the blood vessel, and   an optical transceiver configured to emit near infrared rays and receive the rays reflected by the blood vessel in the radial direction when the catheter is inserted in the blood vessel, the method comprising:   generating, based on the ultrasound waves received by the ultrasound transceiver or the near infrared rays received by the optical transceiver, a series of images each showing a location of a boundary of the blood vessel at a particular rotation angle of the ultrasound transceiver or the optical transceiver;   generating meta-information about the series of images;   embedding the generated meta-information in the series of images; and   generating a cross-sectional image of the blood vessel showing the boundary using the series of images with the meta-information, and outputting the generated cross-sectional image.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the meta-information embedded in the series of images indicates when the series of images is generated. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 acquiring a timestamp from a real time clock (RTC) when the series of images is generated.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 updating the meta-information when the cross-sectional image is generated.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the updated meta-information indicates when the cross-sectional image is generated. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 acquiring encoder information from a drive device configured to rotate the catheter, and including the encoder information in the meta-information to be embedded in the series of images.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 performing image processing on the series of images and modifying the meta-information based on a result of the image processing.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 displaying, on a display device, the cross-sectional image according to the meta-information.   
     
     
         20 . A medical image processing apparatus comprising:
 an interface circuit connectable to a catheter rotatable and insertable into a blood vessel and including at least one of:
 an ultrasound transceiver configured to transmit ultrasound waves and receive the waves reflected by the blood vessel in a radial direction of the catheter when the catheter is inserted in the blood vessel, and 
 an optical transceiver configured to emit near infrared rays and receive the rays reflected by the blood vessel in the radial direction when the catheter is inserted in the blood vessel; 
   a memory; and   a processor configured to execute a program that is stored in the memory to:
 generate, based on the ultrasound waves received by the ultrasound transceiver or the near infrared rays received by the optical transceiver, a series of images each showing a location of a boundary of the blood vessel at a particular rotation angle of the ultrasound transceiver or the optical transceiver, 
 generate meta-information about the series of images, 
 embed the generated meta-information in the series of images, and 
 generate a cross-sectional image of the blood vessel showing the boundary using the series of images with the meta-information, and output the generated cross-sectional image.